Nvidia's PC chip set overcomes rocky start

TAIPEI, Taiwan  After a rocky start plagued by production and pricing problems, Nvidia Corp.'s PC chip set notched another design win Monday (April) when Hewlett-Packard Co. said it will use the nForce 420-D in some of its Pavilion desktop PCs. HP is the second high-profile PC maker to elect to use the nForce.

HP said it will use the chip set in its Pavilion 541c and Pavilion 761n systems, which will hit store shelves later this month. Last month, Compaq Computer Corp. said it would introduce the nForce into its new line of Presario 6000 and Presario 8000 Internet desktop PCs, which are sold mostly in the channel market.

Nvidia's nForce is gaining acceptance in PCs based on Advanced Micro Devices Inc. processors, and has made inroads at Fujitsu-Siemens and MicronPC. Since introducing its first PC chip sets last summer, Nvidia has taken further steps outside its traditional graphics chip set arena, where it hopes to find a position in top-end PCs.